In 2007, the AFL announced that it would support a return of the State of Origin concept as a once-off carnival as part of the 150th anniversary of Australian rules football scheduled for 2008.

South Australia's Graham Cornes was critical of the format, saying that it deprived non-Victorian players of the honour of wearing a state guernsey.

It promoted the event by announcing two captains would be Jonathon Brown (Victoria) and Andrew McLeod (Dream Team).

Victoria wore its traditional navy blue guernsey with a white V. The Dream Team wore a predominantly white guernsey, with beige cuffs and collars, and blue numbers and side panels; the names of 1246 community and grass-roots football clubs competing within the Australian states and territories eligible for the Dream Team were also included in small beige text across the front.

Gary Ablett Jr, Nick Dal Santo and Brad Johnson pulled out for Victoria, while Luke McPharlin and Irishman Tadhg Kennelly dropped out for the Dream Team.